Midnight
by DragonBlade152
Summary: About a year after the Green Death's defeat, a female Night Fury comes crashing down in the middle of the village. She's quickly absorbed into the dragon-human community, but can she handle it?
1. Prologue

I just finished this story a few days ago (rather than coming across it on my computer. Surprising, huh?) If anyone's interested in a Christmas story in June/July, review and let me know! :)

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><p>Wind rushed past me and the ground blurred underneath me. The stars glittered in the heavens, winking at all who stared up at them. It was a beautiful night for flying. Wheeling around, I could see the lights of the human settlement twinkling close by. While I would never get close, the lights held an irresistible fascination. Hundreds of them were spread over the hillside like fireflies on a bush, some moving, most stationary. In the darkness I could make out the towering forms of the rock throwers. I knew they were potentially dangerous and always loaded, but since I had come here last summer I had never seen them used. Winging closer to one, I could just barely make out small forms on it. Too small to be adult humans, but still too much of a chance of being a threat. I turned away from the rock thrower and started heading back towards the hills and the cave which I had made my home. Too late I heard the groan of wood and rope behind me. I cried out as something smashed into my right wing, falling fast and taking me with it. The lights of the human settlement grew at an alarming rate. I was going to crash in the middle of it. If I lived through this I swore I would never come within a hundred miles of a human settlement again. Then I hit the ground with a sickening thud and lost consciousness.<p> 


	2. Chapter 1

_Italics_ mean Dragons speaking

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><p>"Wait, so tell me again how a Night Fury came crashing down in the middle of the village?"<p>

The question made no sense. Was this part of being dead? Whatever I thought death might have been like, being asked senseless questions was not part of it.

"Some kids were playing on a catapult and set it off. I guess the boulder hit it in the wing and sent it crashing."

Maybe I had to review exactly how I died before moving on to the afterlife. I never thought the voices would sound so annoying, though.

"Are you sure it's even alive?"

"Well, it's breathing, and my guess is that it's a she."

The annoying voices of death didn't know that I was a female? What kind of place was this? The last of the black fuzziness of unconsciousness was replaced with a variety of pain, most of it being a fiery, throbbing pain in my right wing. Maybe I wasn't dead. The pain was too much for me to be dead. I opened an eye and immediately wished that I hadn't. Two humans were standing close by, looking at me. This was probably the part where they hacked off my head and hung it up for others to gawk at. Sure enough, one of the humans began to come towards me. I tried to move away but stopped when the movement sent red-hot bolts of pain shooting through what must have been every inch of my body. I was forced to settle for growling and hoping that the human was unarmed. The human stopped, then started moving towards me again, coming slower this time.

"It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you."

The human reached out to touch me. I snapped at the hand, and it retreated. The human went back to where the other human was standing. Now that there was no immediate chance of my head parting company from my neck, I studied the humans a little closer. The one that had approached me was, by my guess, a female, and had blonde hair that was pulled back. The other one was a male with short brown hair. One leg seemed to have been replaced with a wood and metal contraption. They both looked young, though I had never been very close to humans and as such found it hard to tell. They were talking in low voices and glancing at me from time to time. Why hadn't they killed me already? Were they just keeping me alive now so they could have some sport later?

After a short while the humans left, giving me a chance to look at my surroundings. In front of me was a gray stone wall. From the way it curved I guessed that it went all the way around. A web of chains prevented any escape to the sky, had I been able to fly. Slowly, so as to cause the least pain possible, I raised my head and looked around. Several doors held in place by logs lined part of the wall. On the other side was a grid of metal strips leading to a ramp. There was no way out save by the gate that was currently closed, though right now I didn't think I could leave anyway. I glanced at my wing to see what damage had been done and stopped cold. My right wing was encased in a medley of wood, cloth, and leather. Why had they done that? I knew that my wing was broken, probably in more than one place, and that it would heal better if I didn't move it a lot. Was the stuff on my wing to prevent me from hurting it further? Why would they do something like that if they were just going to kill me later? My wing began throbbing worse than before, and I rested my head on the ground. Well, if I was going to die, there wasn't a whole lot that I could do about it. Resigning myself to my fate, I closed my eyes and fell asleep, despite the pain.

A good long sleep does wonders. I woke up feeling considerably better. My wing still throbbed, but not nearly so much as before, and most of my other aches and pains were gone. I was alone, and from the way the light was I could tell that it was morning. Taking advantage of the humans' absence, I reviewed my predicament. I was trapped in something that resembled a prison with a broken wing and at least two humans who had unclear motives. There was a good chance that I would be killed for fun or whatever reason humans come up with and I was practically helpless because of the thing that held my wing still.

As I was trying to think of how many humans I could fry before being overcome, the two humans from the day before came in. Each one had two buckets full of...fish. I suddenly realized that I had had nothing to eat for at least a day and was extremely hungry. However, that did nothing to dampen my suspicions. As the humans came closer I growled softly. The male held up a hand, causing the other to stop, before approaching me. My growl became louder the nearer he came. When he was almost within biting distance he stopped, set down one bucket, and emptied the other in front of me. I watched him warily as he emptied the other bucket and went back. As he walked away I noticed that he had a funny kind of hop-step and that his fake leg squeaked as he walked. He stopped and the other human came forward. She seemed a little more nervous than the other, and edged toward me rather than walked. I growled. She stopped, steeled herself, and came towards me with a little more confidence, emptying her buckets as the other human had. After doing that she retreated back to the other human, and they watched me expectantly. I watched them warily for a few moments before starting to eat, never taking my eyes off them when I could help it.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with her appetite." the male said when I had eaten all the fish.

"Maybe you should bring Toothless down tomorrow. I don't think she trusts us at all."

She had gotten that right. But who was this Toothless? I became a little more nervous than I already was. With my luck it would be someone with a very large weapon and an affinity for dragon heads.

The humans came twice more with food. The rest of the day I was left alone and free to ponder a number of things. When I could stand my thoughts no longer I would see how far I could move without shifting my broken wing. My range was sadly limited, and I would retreat back to my thoughts, only to try again after a while. Night fell, and I went to sleep with feelings of uncertainty about the next day.

When I woke I found myself face to face with another Night Fury.

_Holy...!_

I jerked back in surprise and immediately regretted it as pain flared up in my right wing.

_Good morning._

_ Who are you, and what do you want?_I demanded, a little miffed at being startled like that.

_I'm Toothless._

_ Toothless? What kind of a name is that?_

Toothless shrugged. _Hiccup chose it, not me._

_ Who is Hiccup?_

_ The guy with brown hair over there. The other person is Astrid. _He motioned to one side. The two humans were standing there, watching with interest.

_You still haven't told me what you want with me._

_ I just wanted to make your acquaintance and tell you that you aren't in any danger from these humans._

_ Pardon me for being contrary, but humans got me into this mess in the first place. Why should I trust them?_

_ No one was trying to hurt you. Besides, these humans weren't the ones that launched the rock._

_ If they aren't going to hurt me, what are they going to do with me?_

_ Right now, they're trying to help you._

_ So their idea of helping is putting me in this prison and making sure I can't move?_

_ This was the only sensible place they could find, and if you move your wing too much it won't heal right._

_ I know that, but what's with all this? _I motioned to the jumble that encased my wing.

_Not sure, but I think it's to keep the bones lined up. Hiccup's pretty good at coming up with stuff like that._

From his voice I could tell that Toothless was extremely fond of this Hiccup character. How any dragon could become close to a human I had yet to figure out. _So what else has Hiccup made?_

Toothless put his tail in front of me. One of the tail fins had been replaced with a prosthetic made from cloth and metal. I could see a line of some sort running from the artificial tail fin up to a saddle which I hadn't noticed before.

_I crashed pretty hard a year ago and lost my tail fin. Hiccup made this for me. The only catch is that he has to be controlling it, or else I can't fly._

_ Must be tough, not being able to fly when you want to._

_ Yeah, but it's better than not being able to fly at all. _

"C'mon, bud, time to go."

_He calls you bud, too? _I was starting to get confused with all the different names.

_Yeah. It's a sign of affection. _Toothless started to leave.

_Will you come back? _I had no idea why I asked that. Maybe it was from being almost totally alone for two days.

_Most likely. I haven't seen another Night fury for a long time, especially not a female._

Did he just try to hit on me? All three left, and I was left alone to contemplate what had just happened.


	3. Chapter 2

_Italics_ mean Dragons speaking

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><p>The next day Toothless came by himself. With a little bit of prodding I got him to tell me his story. When he was finished I was speechless. Humans and dragons living together? There was no way I could believe it. Toothless spent a good twenty minutes trying to get me to, but had limited success. While I could believe that Toothless lived with the humans, the idea of a large flock of dragons living with humans of their own free will was a bit on the far-fetched side, and until I saw it there was no chance of me believing it. When he saw that further discussion would be futile, Toothless began asking me about my own life. I had just finished telling him about moving here last summer when the two humans came in with their usual load of fish.<p>

"There you are, Toothless!"

Hiccup set down his buckets and scratched Toothless behind the ear. Toothless gave a sigh of content as he leaned into Hiccup.

_Does that feel good? _I asked with some amusement.

_Oh, yeah. _

My gaze wandered until it rested on the other human, Astrid. She was watching the two, her face showing the barest hint of sadness and envy. Maybe she didn't have a dragon to be close to. Not like that was my problem. When she saw that I was watching she shrugged, came over, and dumped out the fish with a little more vigor than usual. I cocked my head at her. Well, you don't need to take it out on me. Astrid caught my movement and a tiny smile tugged at her mouth. Slowly, her hand reached for me. This time I did not snap or growl. As she was about to touch me Hiccup came over with his buckets. She snatched her hand back, picked up her buckets, and went off. Hiccup, unaware of the moment he had just interrupted, watched her leave before shrugging and dumping his fish. People. I began eating. Toothless came over and looked at my breakfast hungrily.

_Don't even think about it._ I said, snapping up the fish.

_And if I do?_

_ I will rip your other tail fin off and shove it down your throat._

Toothless chuckled. _A little feisty, are we?_

_ Go get your own breakfast._

_ I think I'll do just that. See you later._

Over the next few days I noticed that Astrid seemed to become increasingly agitated, probably because whenever she was there Hiccup and/or Toothless was there also. Both Hiccup and Toothless seemed to be unaware of it. Males. Finally, about a week after I had woken up in this place, Astrid managed to find a time when no one else was around. I could tell she was uneasy by the way she approached me. Taking a deep breath, she tossed a large fish in front of me. I wasn't that hungry, but I ate it anyway, figuring that it was a nice gesture. Astrid came up closer. I did nothing, but merely watched her. Not like there was much I could do, anyway. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out. Her hand stopped an inch or two away from my nose. I looked at her, then back at her hand. I knew very well that she was leaving the choice up to me, and I would be lying to say that I was entirely happy with it. I could see, though, that Astrid just wanted a close bond, like that of Toothless and Hiccup. Well, I wasn't going anywhere for a while. After a few moments of hesitation I pressed my nose against the palm of her hand. To say that she looked surprised would be an understatement. After staring for a while she gently began rubbing my nose. I sneezed. Astrid laughed softly, then moved to my side and began scratching my neck. That _did _feel good. I rumbled in content, and Astrid laughed again. She had a nice laugh.

"I'm glad you like it."

I caught the sound of Hiccup talking and laughing. Astrid must have heard it too, because she stopped, looked up, and ran off.

From the way Astrid acted I could tell that she wanted to keep our newly-formed relationship a secret. As she had gained my trust, I didn't mention it to Toothless when he came to talk, which was often. After two weeks of confinement, I was starting to get a little crazy from not being able to do anything.

_So how long am I supposed to not move? _I asked in an off-hand way, hoping for at most another week.

_I don't know, but Hiccup said something about maybe three months._

_ THREE MONTHS? _If I was starting to go crazy after two weeks, I would be stark raving mad by three months.

_Don't worry. I'm sure Hiccup will come up with a way for you to move around._

_ I hope so, or I'll go insane before the month is up._

Soon after Toothless left Astrid came. She stopped a little ways off, and I cocked my head. Why was she so hesitant? It wasn't like I was going to bite her hand off. Suppressing a grin, she came over and began scratching me. I'm sure she had no idea how wonderful it felt. After a while she stopped and sat down in front of me. I regarded her with interest before shifting uncomfortably. If Toothless was wrong and Hiccup didn't come up with a way for me to move I might end up just dragging my wing everywhere, despite the likelihood of injuring it worse.

"You're tired of not being able to move, aren't you?"

I stopped moving and stared at Astrid in surprise. Pretty observant, for a human.

Over the next week Astrid came whenever no one else was around, leaving when she heard someone approaching. Between her and Toothless I was able to keep my mind from dwelling on the fact that I was stuck. Like Toothless had said, Hiccup did indeed come up with a way for me to move. It involved lifting my broken wing onto Toothless' back.

_This is so humiliating. _I grumbled as we began to slowly move toward the exit.

_At least you're moving._

_ I guess you have a point._

When we finally made it outside I stopped and gasped. Toothless hadn't been lying. There were dragons and humans everywhere, and what's more, no one was trying to kill anyone else.

_Wow._

_ Told you so. _Toothless said smugly. We ventured down to the cluster of buildings. Both people and dragons started noticing us and began to come closer. I slowed down, nervous. Two humans were OK. More than that, and I became very uneasy very fast. One particularly bold little human came up and reached out to touch me. I backed off, forcing Toothless to do the same.

_It's OK, _he said, _they won't hurt you._

_ Will everyone want to touch me? _I was fine with Astrid, but the idea of all those hands poking and prodding me sent crawlies up and down my spine.

_No, just the young ones. They won't hurt you._

Not too comforted, I stood still and allowed the youngster to touch me. He giggled and ran back to a group of other little humans, who were soon clustered around me, touching me before running off and giggling as the first one had. I bore it as best I could, resisting the temptation to snap at them or show them why the name Toothless wasn't a fitting name for a Night Fury. A Monstrous Nightmare had to pick that time to come up.

_Hey, Toothless, who's your girlfriend?_

_ Shut up. _I could tell there was no love lost between the two. The Nightmare turned to me.

_You know, you could do way better than one-fin over there._

I had already lost most of my patience, and this guy was really getting on my nerves._ If you don't shut up I'm going to rip out your heart and feed it to you._

_ Brave words for one who can't even move without help. _The Nightmare put his face close to mine.

_Back off._ I growled as I snapped at him.

"You leave my Hygelac alone!" a very large and very threatening Viking yelled as he brandished an ax in my face. Astrid came in between me and him.

"Calm down. She's just not used to all the people."

"What's her name?" one of the younger humans asked. Astrid looked at Hiccup, who shrugged.

"Her name is Midnight." she said after a few moments. Midnight, huh? That wasn't such a bad name. Most definitely better than Toothless or Hiccup. The name was repeated a few times in the crowd, and everyone regarded me with new interest.

_Let's head back. _I said, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice. With a glance at Hiccup and a growl at the Nightmare Toothless helped me back. Hiccup and Astrid lifted my wing—which, thankfully, no longer hurt—from Toothless' back, and I settled down, feeling better after the walk.

_Tomorrow we'll go someplace with better company. _Toothless said, his humor sounding forced.

_Will you do me a favor?_

_ What?_

_ Rip that Hygelac's head off for me._

Toothless chuckled. _Next chance I get. See you tomorrow. _


	4. Chapter 3

_Italics_ mean Dragons speaking

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><p>The next two and a half months past by in a dull blur. While some parts were fine, such as Astrid talking to me, taking walks just about everywhere but the village, and talking to Toothless, most of the time I was left to myself. That alone wouldn't bother me; Night Furies are solitary by nature, and I was no exception. The problem was that before, I could fly anywhere I wanted to find some means of entertaining myself. Now I was stuck in one place and didn't have much to occupy my mind. Counting links in chains gets old after a few days, after all, and it was usually either overcast or there were no clouds at all. Needless to say, I thought a lot. Any more time in there and I would have become either a great philosopher or insane, or maybe both. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if there's much difference in between the two.<p>

Finally the morning came when Hiccup said that he could take the stuff off my wing. I was almost quivering in anticipation as he peeled the layers off. The last strip of cloth slid to the ground, and I flexed my wing experimentally. It felt a little strange, after not being able to move it for so long. Astrid glanced between both my wings.

"Something doesn't look right." She sounded a little worried. Oh, please no. Don't tell me that I can't fly.

"It does look smaller than the other." Hiccup admitted. Crud.

"Do you think it healed right?"

"I don't know. We'd better ask the healer. You two stay here."

Hiccup and Astrid left. I sighed in frustration.

_This is just great. Three months of torture, and I _still _might not be able to fly._

_At least you can move now. _Toothless sounded both surly and sarcastic. I was too upset to care why.

_Yeah, well if Hiccup had been smarter and put less junk on my wing I could have been doing that a while ago._

Without warning Toothless tackled me. Because I hadn't been able to exercise properly he pinned me down on my back pretty easily.

_Don't you ever, _ever _talk about Hiccup like that! _He growled. We stared at each other for a few moments before I realized that I was in the wrong.

_OK, I'm sorry._

Toothless reluctantly let me up. I shook myself in an attempt to gather what remained of my dignity before deciding to find out what was bothering Toothless.

_What's eating you?_

_Nothing._ Toothless sounded a little sulky. It probably had something to do with me.

_Oh bull. Seriously, what's eating you?_

_Why do you care? You're going to be leaving anyway._

So _that_ was the problem. _I never said I was leaving._

_Then you're staying? _There was a definite hint of hope in his voice.

_I never said that, either._

_So what are you going to do?_

_Right now I want to see if sitting still for three months was worth it._

_You'd better wait. Hiccup and Astrid aren't back yet._

_So I've noticed. _I said dryly as I began to pace. My muscles were stiff from not being used for so long, but as I walked around the ring they loosened up. Faster and faster I went, until I was practically a black blur. It felt wonderful, being able to go as fast as I liked without anyone having to help me. When I felt like I had warmed up enough I slowed to a stop, breathing deeply as if I could taste the freedom. Hiccup and Astrid came back two seconds later.

"The healer says that it should be fine as long as there's no big bump where the break was." Astrid said as she went to my right wing and began feeling along it. Hiccup looked surprised that I didn't mind Astrid touching me. I guess that sort of made sense, seeing as he himself had never touched me, at least when I was awake, and he never saw Astrid touching me either.

"Feels fine to me." Astrid said, "Let's see if you can fly."

The words I had been waiting for. I all but ran out, slowing down only when I remembered that I didn't know where I should take off from. The others laughed as they ran to catch up with me.

_There's a nice cliff over here._ Toothless said. I followed him to a high cliff that overlooked the sea. I crouched, feeling the air currents, before taking a deep breath and launching myself over the ocean. For the first half-second I wondered what would happen it my wing hadn't healed right. Then instinct kicked in, and I soared upwards. Roaring in sheer joy, I climbed upwards, then went into a picture-perfect dive. Spreading my wings, I sped over the waves before climbing again to soar over the others. I could fly again! Never did I think that it could feel so wonderful. At last I landed, almost humming with satisfaction. The others looked almost as happy as I was. Then Hiccup's face fell.

"I guess you can leave now, you know, if you want to."

They all stared at me, waiting for my choice. I ran through my options. If I left I wouldn't have to care about anyone else. I could do what I want whenever I wanted, without worrying if I would hurt anyone's feelings. Nothing would tie me down to one place. On the other hand, these guys were my friends now. Sure, they had put me through all that torture, but they had just been trying to help me. It was kind of nice to have others around that actually cared about you and would help if something went wrong, and Astrid had given me her trust and had received mine in return. Would it really be right to break that trust just so I wouldn't have to worry about what others wanted?

The others were still staring at me. I went over to Astrid and gently nudged her.

"You want to stay? With me?" she sounded surprised and uncertain. I gave her a "duh" look. "Oh, Midnight!" she cried as she threw her arms around me. I tipped a wink at Toothless, who gave me one of his goofy toothless smiles in return.

"Great!" Hiccup sounded happy, maybe because he didn't have to worry about taking care of another dragon. Wiping moisture from her eyes, Astrid led me to what was to be my new home.

"This is where you'll be sleeping." She said as she pushed open the double doors of a huge structure. The inside smelled like straw, fish, and dragons. The last was probably because a Zippleback and a Nadder were curled up taking a nap by the right wall and opposite the door, respectively.

"The Zippleback is my parents'. The Nadder was mine, until my little sister wanted it." she sighed, "She could sweet talk a rock to roll up a hill if she wanted, and apparently getting a Nadder to like you more than your sister is much easier." Astrid looked into my eyes, almost begging. "Please don't let her get you, too."

No worries there. My loyalty lay with three others, and Astrid's little sister most definitely wasn't one of them. I gave her a "don't worry" look. She smiled.

"I have some chores to do. Try not to get into any trouble."

OK, I'd try. No guarantees, but I'd try. Astrid gave me one final pat and left. I picked the corner farthest from the other two dragons and curled up. As if on cue they woke up at the same time and looked around sleepily.

_Who are you?_ The Zippleback asked when she noticed me. The Nadder turned to look at me, apparently waiting for my answer.

_Midnight. I'm with Astrid._

_I'm Helga. _

_They call me Shatterglass. _The Nadder seemed to study me. _Astrid's nice, but her little sister is a lot nicer._

_Hmm. _Yeah right. Astrid's little sister didn't help hand-feed me for three months, and I'd bet anything that she couldn't scratch like Astrid could,either. The Zippleback stood and stretched.

_I think I'll go for a little jaunt. _

_I'll join you._

With that the two left. I was perfectly fine with that. It wasn't that I had a problem with other dragons, I just didn't like to be around them for a long period of time. Well, except Toothless, but he didn't count. Now that I had the place to myself, I decided that I would take a nap. I had just gotten comfortable when a small human appeared at the door. With her blonde hair I guessed that she was Astrid's little sister.

"You must be the dragon Astrid was talking about." she said as she approached. Yes I was. Now go away.

"My name's Freya. Astrid said your name was Midnight."

Whoop-i-dee-doo. Leave me alone. By this time she was close enough to touch me, but didn't. Smart, this one. But not smart enough to know that one of the worst times to try to befriend a dragon was when it was trying to take a nap.

"You look really powerful."

Freya may be able to sweet talk a rock into rolling up hill, but I was capable of being stubborn to the point of bullheadedness sometimes, and right now was definitely one of those times. There was no way that she could convince me to be her new pet.

"I bet you could swallow me in one gulp."

Two, actually. Don't tempt me. She leaned in close, like she was about to tell a secret.

"You know, Astrid isn't really as nice as she seems."

Right, and she didn't put a significant amount of time into making sure I was doing alright when I had my broken wing, either.

"She even tried to kill dragons!"

So did just about every other Viking in Berk, according to what Toothless told me, and most of them were more successful than Astrid. Apparently Freya didn't know about my sources.

"But I've never tried to hurt a dragon."

I wonder why? Couldn't have anything to do with the fact that most dragons would think of her as the perfect size for breakfast, could it? She smiled shyly at me.

"You know, I don't really have any friends."

What about Shatterglass? Is he just one of your play toys? Just leave me alone and let me take my nap.

"Would you be my friend?"

I'd rather have to swim to the edge of the world and back while towing the entire island. Apparently she didn't get the message, because she started reaching out to touch me. I growled.

"I won't hurt you. I'm really nice, promise."

Her hand came closer, and I snapped at it. She pulled it back, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Wrong move. Fake tears annoyed me almost as much as being prevented from taking my nap.

"Hey, Midnight, do..." Astrid came in and stopped dead when she saw Freya standing in front of me. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, I was just making friends with Midnight." Freya replied, tears immediately gone. Yeah, right. I'd sooner be friends with a giant eel. Astrid looked horrified. I stood up and went over to her, nudging her gently to assure her that she was still most definitely my favorite human. Freya's lip crept out in a pout, then quickly returned to normal. She gave me a dazzling smile and came towards me, hand outstretched. I growled as I crouched next to Astrid. This little human was quickly becoming a royal pain in the tail. Freya stopped and dropped her hand, her lip beginning to creep back out. Astrid stroked my neck, signaling that I should calm down.

"You know mom doesn't like you to be in here by yourself."

Freya was definitely pouting now. "I can take care of myself."

"Go tell that to mom. Come on, Midnight."

I growled at Freya one last time before following Astrid outside. When we were out of earshot Astrid beamed.

"I'm _so_ glad you didn't let her take you."

Good thing I wasn't as stupid as a Nadder, huh? Plus, disturbing my nap and trying to use fake tears didn't help, either. We stopped in front of what must have been the smithy, from what Toothless had described. Sure enough, Hiccup was inside, hammering away at a piece of metal. Another human was also there. He must have been Gobber (where did they get all these stupid names?)

"I'll be right back." Hiccup said when he saw Astrid.

"Sure, sure." Gobber rolled his eyes as he continued his work.

"Could you make a saddle for Midnight?" Astrid asked as Hiccup came over.

"Yeah, but are you sure it's a good idea? I mean, she's only flown once in three months. Maybe she's not up to it yet."

Astrid's face fell. "I hadn't thought of that."

"But it'll take a little while to make, so if you'll wait out back for a minute I'll measure her."

"Thanks, Hiccup." Astrid gave him a peck on the cheek, making him blush a little, before leading me behind the smithy. Toothless was there, sunning himself. He opened an eye as we approached.

_And to what do I owe the pleasure?_

_Hiccup's going to make a saddle for me._ I glanced nervously at Astrid. _I'm not sure if I want a human on my back._

Toothless stood and stretched. _It can be really fun sometimes, especially if they scream. Do you like your new home?_

_Kind of. Do you think Astrid would mind if her little sister disappeared?_

_I doubt it, but her parents might._

Hiccup came out with a measuring tape and a notebook. I stood still while he and Astrid wrapped it around me again and again. Finally Hiccup rolled up the tape.

"I'll start working on it as soon as I can. Meanwhile you'd better start building up Midnight's strength."

"I'll do that." Astrid said goodbye to Hiccup and led me to the same cliff that I had flown from earlier that day.

"Well, I guess you should fly." she gestured vaguely, "And come back before sunset."

I blinked once in understanding before taking off. Once again the exhilaration of being in the air hit me. I flew for hours, landing on rocks occasionally to rest. I really had lost some of my strength. When the sun was nearing the sea I returned to the cliff. Astrid was waiting. I wondered if she had been there for the entire time.

"I bet you're hungry. Come on, I'll show you where the dragons eat."

Food sounded great. I followed her to the middle of the village, where a large pillar supported a huge bowl filled with fish. Almost drooling, I made a beeline for it.

_Well look who's here. _Hygelac casually stepped in front of me. _Looks like you don't need one-fin to hold your hand anymore._

_Move it, jerk. _I didn't know who I hated more at that moment: Hygelac for keeping me from my meal, or Freya for disturbing my nap.

_That isn't any way to talk to me._

_Oh, I'm sorry, was I being too nice?_

_You know, I really don't like you._

_The feeling's mutual. Now move it._

He moved in closer to me, teeth bared. _I could rip you limb from limb right now if I wanted to._

_I'd love to see you try. _I was tired, hungry, and had absolutely no patience left. By this time we were hemmed in by a circle of people and dragons, most of them clearly expecting a fight.

"C'mon, Hygelac, give it to her!" his human shouted.

"Midnight, no!"

Right now I wasn't in the mood to listen to anyone, not even Astrid.

_You little rat._

_Your mother was an eel and your father was a midget dragon._ I replied coolly. Hygelac roared and jumped at me. I did what he least expected: rolling onto my back, I used my legs to push him clear of me. He rolled a couple of times, clearly surprised, before getting up and pouncing. This time I met him head-on. It was woefully easy after that. I was tired, hungry, and out of shape, and I still pinned him after a few minutes. Growling, I put my face close to his.

_Whoever taught you to fight was an idiot._

Hygelac growled, but was incapable of movement. I pressed a claw just hard enough so that a single drop of blood appeared on his throat.

_Next time we fight I'll rip out your throat, so it would be in your best interest to make sure there isn't a next time._

With one last stomp in the stomach I leaped off him and headed towards the food. Humans and dragons alike parted to let me pass, staring at me with wide eyes. Ignoring them, I ate my fill before returning to Astrid.

"You could have gotten yourself killed." she murmured as she stroked my neck. I gave her a look that plainly said "but I didn't" before nudging her. She sighed. "All right, let's go home."

Once again the crowd parted. Hygelac's human started to say something, but quickly swallowed his words when I turned my eyes on him. Maybe having a reputation wasn't going to be such a bad thing after all. Helga and Shatterglass were already inside, but from the way they started when I came in I knew they had either witnessed the fight or at least heard about it. Astrid stayed long enough to make sure I was comfortable before saying goodnight and and leaving.

_Freya said you were awful to her. _Shatterglass growled.

_I didn't do anything that she didn't deserve. _I replied as I closed my eyes.

_I don't like it when my human isn't treated right._

_I don't like having my nap disturbed._

_Know what I do to those who don't treat my human right?_

I opened one eye and fixed him with a stony glare._ Touch me and I will shove your tail down your throat. Don't think I won't, either._

He knew very well that I was capable of carrying out my threat. Grumbling, he settled down and went to sleep. Satisfied that there would be no more argument, I did likewise.


	5. Chapter 4

_Italics_ mean Dragons speaking

* * *

><p>I soon reached an understanding with the rest of the dragons in the village. If they didn't bother me, I wouldn't bother them. For the most part it worked well. The only exception to the rule was Toothless, but then again, not only was he the exception to just about every rule, he also wasn't as awed at my apparently remarkable fighting skills. His only regret was that he hadn't been there to watch.<p>

On most days I flew, catching my meals like I had before I came here. My strength came back, and soon I was as strong as I was before, if not stronger. Encounters with Freya were few and far between, thanks to the combined efforts of Astrid and I, and usually involved me growling until either she left or I did. Life went on like this for the three weeks it took Hiccup to make the saddle, though to his credit he seemed to be the best—and only—dragon saddle maker on Berk and as such was in high demand. Out behind the smithy, I watched nervously as Hiccup carried out the saddle. It looked like Toothless' did except that it was black.

_That's it?_ I said disbelievingly when I realized how small it was in comparison to all the stuff Toothless had on.

_That's it. What were you expecting?_

I shrugged and stood still while Hiccup showed Astrid how to put it on me. One strap went around my stomach, in front of my wings. Two came over my shoulders, joined together, then split again to go underneath each of my forelegs and back up to join the saddle. A third strap, attached to the very front, went around my neck. The two humans backed off while I adjusted to the new saddle.

_Is it always going to be this uncomfortable?_ I asked as I squirmed a little.

_No. After a while you won't even know it's there._

"You might want to give her a few days to get used to it before trying to fly on her." Hiccup said.

"All right." Astrid sounded a little crestfallen. Hiccup winked at her.

"After I show you how to adjust the stirrups I'll go flying with you."

Astrid perked up a little after that. In fact, she was humming on the way home. Once we got there she removed the saddle, gave me a good scratch, and left. I went to sleep, feeling a bit uneasy about the next few days.

Astrid came in early the next morning, put the saddle on me, and led me to the usual cliff.

"OK, go for it."

I took off, still trying to get used to the saddle. It was a little different flying with it on, but not much. By the end of the day I had learned to ignore the saddle for most of the time. After two days I found that Toothless had been right. I hardly noticed it when it was on anymore. Astrid decided I had gotten used to it that afternoon and took me not to the smithy, but to another house. She knocked on the door and a very large Viking with a fur cape answered.

"Is Hiccup here?"

"Just a second." the man turned, "Hiccup, it's Astrid!" he bellowed, causing me to cringe. There was a thu-thumping kind of noise, and Hiccup appeared at the door.

"Hey, Astrid." he sounded a little out of breath. I noticed that his usual fur vest had been replaced with a leather harness-looking thing.

"Ready to go flying?" Astrid grinned. Hiccup grinned back.

"You bet."

Hiccup went a little ways from the house and whistled. A few seconds later Toothless came bounding down from the trees.

_You look ravishing in that saddle._ He said as he stopped beside me.

_Oh shut up._ I was still nervous about flying with a person on my back. I held still while Astrid swung herself into the saddle. She wasn't nearly as heavy as I had feared. In fact, I barely felt her weight at all. Maybe it was because she was so skinny. Hiccup adjusted the stirrups and showed her how to attach the safety line before getting onto Toothless. I followed them to the usual cliff.

_Just don't panic._ Toothless told me as I stood next to him, _If you're not sure what to do, just fly straight until she gives a clearer signal or you're about to crash. And it might not be a good idea to try too many stunts the first few times._

_Gotcha, I think. _I took a deep breath.

"OK, let's go!" Hiccup called.

With another deep breath I launched myself from the cliff. It wasn't at all like I expected. Astrid's weight hardly caused me to dip as I took off. Toothless winked at me before starting a climb. I felt the strap around my neck tighten slightly and knew that Astrid wanted me to follow. Wings beating powerfully, I chased his red tail fin upwards. Toothless crested the climb, and I topped the rise the same time he did. Like a choreographed dance we started the dive at the exact same time. I immediately saw that we weren't a safe distance away and would smack each other when we opened our wings. Toothless must have seen this too, for he opened his wings just enough so that he would slow down a little. Taking the hint, I streamlined myself to reduce the air resistance as much as possible. The wind screamed past as I began gaining on Toothless. By the time the water came close enough to worry about I was a safe distance ahead. I spread my wings and could hear Toothless doing the same. One claw skimmed the waves as I glided over the ocean. Astrid whooped, and I assumed that she was enjoying the ride. There was pressure on my neck strap and I angled upwards, coming up even with Toothless.

_Having fun yet?_ He grinned as he veered left. I could feel the neck strap tighten again, but this time it was pulling more towards the left. I could also feel Astrid leaning in that direction. Gliding, I followed Toothless towards a huge natural arch. Dipping closer to the waves, we flew under, causing seabirds to take flight. Swerving around tall columns of rock, I could hear Hiccup yell, "Should we try the Mists?"

_The what? _I asked as I came up beside Toothless.

_Don't worry, you can handle it._

_Every time someone tells me that I start to get a little nervous. _I muttered as Toothless took the lead again. Within a few seconds I was able to see what Hiccup had been talking about. A large stretch of mist covered the water. I could just make out the tops of rock formations.

_We're going in THERE?_

_Yeah, it's great fun._

_You guys are insane!_

Toothless entered the Mists. I went in shortly thereafter. Apparently, the whole idea of the Mists was to get through without crashing. I must admit, it was exhilarating. And terrifying. Speeding through the mist, swerving through rock formations, I could just barely make out Toothless' tail fin ahead of me. Finally we burst free of the mist. Astrid yelled something, but I couldn't make out what it was. I hoped it wasn't directed at me. After a little more flying we landed on a flat stretch of beach that was covered in hexagonal stones. I was panting a little as Astrid got off.

_Did you have fun in the Mists?_ Toothless asked, sounding amused.

_You're all adrenaline junkies, aren't you?_

_That's one thing that makes a Viking a Viking._

I sighed as I laid down. Astrid leaned against me while Hiccup leaned against Toothless.

"Think Midnight will do alright?" Hiccup asked, the corner of his mouth curving upwards into a grin.

"I think she'll do great. I doubt Shatterglass could have ever gone that fast through the Mists."

Great, something else to dangle over the obnoxious Nadder's head should he ever get too annoying. I wished, though, that they wouldn't immediately assume that I was better, just in case I wasn't at a time where it would be extremely bad for me not to be.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Sure."

At Astrid's insistence I got up. I waited until I heard the soft click that meant Astrid wouldn't fall out of the saddle easily before taking off. We flew straight back to the village this time, for which I was extremely grateful. Strong I may be, but a whole day of flying gets to be a little taxing.

_Let's get something to eat. _Toothless said.

_Sounds great._ I had not caught my supper like I usually did, so I followed toothless to the dragons' table, as I had overheard some of the humans call it.

_Looks like the mighty Midnight deigns to eat with us mere mortals. _Hygelac hissed, though he didn't dare to come closer. I ignored him and began eating. From the corner of my eye I could see Toothless watching me as he ate. Maybe he was hoping for a fight. I was not in the mood to fight right then though, so if he wanted entertainment, he was going to be disappointed. We finished eating and headed back to where our humans were waiting.

_Why don't you eat there? _Toothless asked quietly.

_Meat head back there is one of the reasons._

"Astrid! Did you go flying?" Freya came running up.

_And there's the other._

_She's still after you?_

_She'll probably be after me until either she dies or I do, and at the rate it's going it's gonna be the first one by way of my claws._

"Can I ride on Midnight?" Freya was asking.

"Not right now. Midnight's pretty tired."

I got the hint and did my best to look exhausted, which wasn't that hard.

"Maybe tomorrow?"

"We'll see."

Freya skipped off. Astrid sighed.

"I wonder how long I'll be able to hold her off."

"Just tell her no." Hiccup offered.

"That'll work fine until she goes to mom and dad. After that I won't have a choice."


	6. Chapter 5

_Italics_ mean Dragons speaking

* * *

><p>We were able to put off Freya's request for a little over a week by getting up early, coming back late, and coming up with all sorts of excuses. Unfortunately, through a twist of fate, both Astrid and I got up just late enough so that we found the rest of Astrid's family outside as we tried to leave.<p>

"Can I ride on Midnight now?" Freya made the question sound like a demand. Astrid hesitated while she tried to come up with a suitable excuse.

"I don't think..."

"Why don't you let Freya have a short ride, dear?" her mother said. I could hear a note of weariness in her voice and knew that Freya had been wearing on her. Astrid sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

Freya giggled as she ran up to me and tried to get on. I made it a bit difficult by moving a little, not enough to hinder someone like Astrid, but just enough so that Freya would have an extremely difficult time. After a few moments of trying, Freya began pouting and her father lifted her up into the saddle. Astrid made a move to get on.

"No, I can ride by myself."

Astrid shrugged. "Suit yourself." she said as she clipped the safety line onto Freya's belt.

"Doesn't she look adorable?" her mother crooned. Freya bounced on my back and I could already feel my nerves beginning to fray. Astrid stroked my neck.

"Go easy on her."

I gave her a look that clearly stated that I had no intention of doing so. Astrid suppressed a grin as she stepped back. Freya attempted to kick my sides and failed miserably.

"Let's go!"

I grinned wickedly before taking off so fast it would have given most people whiplash. Freya screamed, but the wind tore it away almost before it was out of her mouth. After a few seconds I slowed down to a reasonable speed long enough to hear Freya say, "This isn't so bad." Then we were out over the ocean.

I would like to say that, contrary to what everyone else believes, I did not go crazy. Every move was perfectly planned and executed. I just did it in such a manner and with such speed as to make it seem like I went berserk. It started with a short dive and some splashing before climbing very high very fast. I had always loved diving and trying to see how close I could get to the water without actually hitting it. I did that now, almost but not quite hitting the waves before climbing back up. My performance that followed was one of the best that I'd ever done. Rolling, veering, swooping, climbing, diving, slewing, free-falling, spinning, loop-the-loops, all done in rapid order with blinding speed. I could barely feel Freya tugging at the neck strap. In fact, there was so little pressure that, had I not known better, I could have dismissed it all together. We were going so fast I couldn't hear her yelling, either. I continued in this manner for a few minutes before deciding to land. Heaven knows how much longer Freya could have gone without being sick, and I didn't want anything of that sort on me. With one last burst of speed I returned to where Astrid and her parents were standing and landed gently. I had no sooner touched the ground than Freya was ripping off the safety line. She jumped down and ran to her parents, crying. Served her right.

"I thought you told that dragon of yours to go easy on her." Astrid's mother scolded.

"She did." Astrid lied with a straight face, "We do stuff like that all the time."

Yeah, actually, we did. Just not quite like that. Meanwhile, Freya was telling of how awful her experience had been.

"I tugged and tugged, but it didn't work!" she said in between sobs.

"She probably didn't feel it." Astrid said with a shrug, "You have to pull pretty hard before Midnight even knows."

Freya wiped her nose. "I _was_ pulling hard." she sniveled. I'd felt worms pulling harder than she had.

"Maybe you're just not strong enough."

"Yes I am!" Freya stomped her foot before running up to me, grabbing the neck strap, and pulling. "Come on, you stupid dragon!" she grunted as she pulled in a futile effort to get me to move. The last thing you did when you wanted a dragon to go somewhere was to insult it. I caught Astrid's look, and it said not to do anything bad. Leave it to humans to take all the fun out of everything. I waited until Freya was red in the face and pulling with her entire weight before taking a step forward. Startled, Freya let go and stumbled backwards.

"See? It takes a lot of force before Midnight knows that you want her to move."

I caught Astrid's wink as she took my neck strap and pulled. I waited until she was using the same force that Freya had before moving.

"You're not pulling as hard as I was." Freya sniffed. Actually, Astrid was pulling harder, but I wasn't in a position to say so.

"I'll try." Astrid's father stepped up and grabbed the strap. Was this going to end up as a tug-of-war with the entire family? I braced myself as he began tugging. When he was pulling with at least three times the force Freya had I took a reluctant step.

"It does take a lot of force." he said as he let go. There, point made. Could we stop this now?

"I think that dragon doesn't like me." Freya pouted. Did she _just _figure that out?

"Well, there's not much we can do about that." her mother said, "Why don't you go for a nice ride on Shatterglass?"

Still pouting, Freya allowed herself to be led away. Astrid waited until they were out of earshot before sighing.

"She's such a brat." Astrid smiled, "But now she hopefully won't be after you anymore."

I sincerely hoped so. Going out of my way to avoid her was getting to be a little tiresome. Astrid went off to do whatever she did during the day and I decided to go catch breakfast. Toothless trotted up just as I was about to take off.

_Have you had breakfast yet?_

_No. I was just about to get it._

_Come with me._

Sighing, I followed Toothless to the dragons' table. He gestured for me to go first and followed, nudging a Gronkle out of the way as he began eating beside me. Once again I could see him watching me. When we had eaten I motioned for him to follow me and went a good distance away from where the other dragons were clustered around the food.

_Why do you want me to eat there?_

_The others are starting to think it's strange that you never do._

_Why should I care what they think? What does it matter, anyway?_

_You seem to forget that there are a whole lot more of them then there are of you._

_So I should conform just because they outnumber me? _If there was one thing I missed most about being in the wild, it was the absence of politics.

_I'm not saying that. You heard what Hygelac said last time you were here. A lot of them are beginning to agree that you think you're too high and mighty to eat with the rest of the dragons. Hygelac might be able to convince some to help him put you in your place. You're a good fighter, but even you couldn't stand against five._

_No, but I could make them regret it._

Toothless gave a sigh of frustration. _Or you could just avoid getting beaten into a bloody pulp._

_What do you want me to do, then? _I was starting to get a little miffed.

_Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there._

_How about just breakfast?_

_Breakfast and lunch._

_I'm usually flying during lunch. Breakfast and dinner._

_OK, see you then._

I rolled my eyes and took off. Just when I thought I had pretty much avoided politics, I was getting sucked into it. I swore that if this backfired, I would show Toothless just how good of a fighter I was.

That afternoon Astrid and I went flying alone. I kind of liked it that way. When Hiccup and Toothless went with us one of us usually followed the other. Without them I could show Astrid what flying was really about. I had become pretty good at figuring out when and how hard Astrid wanted me to turn, and the afternoon was devoted to perfecting it. The only reason I wasn't dizzy when we landed was because we had been alternating directions. Holding back a sigh, I headed for the dragons' table. Toothless was waiting for me. He grinned when I came up.

_I was afraid you wouldn't show up._

_Well, here I am._

We went over. I kept my ears open as I ate, listening to conversations that the other dragons thought I couldn't hear. What I heard didn't make me happy. Toothless was taking his time, so I left, knowing that he would follow when he was done. Sure enough, he trotted up a minute later.

_I don't suppose you thought of the possible consequences of me eating there a lot. _I remarked acidly.

_Like what?_

_Like how half the dragons seem to think that we're a couple._

_We are a couple. A couple of Night Furies._

_You know what I mean!_

Toothless shrugged. _It was bound to happen anyway. We do happen to be the only Night Furies in the area, and our humans have a romantic interest in each other._

_Don't remind me._ I had seen Astrid both hitting and kissing Hiccup, usually in that order, on multiple occasions and was still trying to figure out why she hit him so much if she liked him. _I'd just like it better if everyone didn't immediately assume that we were the same as our humans._

_Well, since we don't really have a choice in the matter, we'll have to just live with it._

I was getting thoroughly sick of just having to live with things. The next day I began altering my schedule so that I wasn't eating at the same time as Toothless. If it frustrated him, he didn't show it. I also began locating places near the dragons' table where I could listen to the other dragons' conversations without being seen. It wasn't eavesdropping as much as seeing what the prevailing mood was. If I heard my name and Toothless in the same sentence I would wait a bit to eat. I hated it when everyone just stared at me. Hygelac usually had some kind of jibe ready, but I ignored him. First lesson about being a good fighter: don't be the one to start the fight. It got you into less trouble. Hygelac seemed to remember my threat from the one time we fought and didn't go beyond the verbal abuse. I almost regretted making that threat. A good fight might have lifted my spirits a bit.

Astrid seemed to be preoccupied with something. Several times she left me to myself for the entire day. Dispirited, I began going through the Mists on my own, flying through the jagged formations from every possible angle. After three weeks I was almost able to fly through the mist-enshrouded rocks with my eyes closed. One time Toothless caught me as I landed.

_What do you do when you're by yourself?_

_I fly. What else would I be doing? _I couldn't keep a slight bitter note out of my voice. Toothless' question reminded me how Astrid hadn't flown with me for two days straight. I was beginning to wonder if I had done something wrong.

_Come on._

_Why?_

_You're by yourself too much._

He started towards the dragons' table and I followed, albeit reluctantly.

_Has Astrid said anything about a race?_ He asked.

_No. Am I to assume there's going to be one?_

_Maybe. I overheard Hiccup and Astrid talking about it. Astrid seemed to be the one organizing it, so I thought you might know._

_I haven't heard anything. _Maybe that's why Astrid had been so preoccupied. Or it could have been an attempt to cheer me up. Hygelac had one of his comments ready, but swallowed it when Toothless stared him down. Maybe I should start eating when Toothless did again. When we finished eating I decided to hit the hay early and said goodnight. Toothless seemed to be a little worried, but said nothing. Curling up in my corner, I sighed. I wasn't really tired. What was wrong with me, anyway? Out in the wild I would have been glad to be by myself so much. Strange how a few months can alter one's view of things. There was the sound of footsteps, and a shadow appeared at the door. For a moment feared it was Freya, then realized it was Astrid. She came over and began stroking my neck like she did when she knew I was unhappy. Was it really that obvious?

"Sorry I haven't been able to fly with you. I've been helping to organize a race."

There really was going to be a race? I looked at Astrid questioningly. She smiled.

"It's taken forever to get it organized. No one would agree on anything. They'll be announcing it soon, so we'll be able to get some practice in."

A race sounded great, almost as good as a fight. Maybe I could find something to rub in Hygelac's nose. With that thought in mind, I made a contented sound. Astrid grinned as she began scratching me.

"I take it you're not mad at me. We'll go flying tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 6

_Italics_ mean Dragons speaking

* * *

><p>True to her word, Astrid and I went flying the next day. As she was going to participate in the race, she didn't know exactly where it was going to be. She did assume, however, that the Mists wouldn't be included. The race was going to be open to anyone and everyone, and there were some pretty inexperienced people who would want to be in it. It didn't really matter to me. I was just glad that Astrid was flying with me again. We went all around the island, finding almost every possible course for the race. Astrid seemed pretty confident as we landed.<p>

"We'll be unbeatable." she said as she took my saddle off. After giving me a good scratching she left. I waited until I saw Toothless heading towards the dragons' table and joined him.

_You were right. There is going to be a race._

_Did Astrid talk about it?_

_Yep. She just doesn't know where it's going to be._

_Sounds fun._

The next day the race was announced. Everyone, humans and dragons alike, were buzzing in anticipation. Few seemed to be able to wait the three days. I remained cool and collected, despite the fact that I was just as eager. The skies above Berk were filled with people and dragons, practicing. There were several rather humorous mid-air collisions and near-accidents, but for the most part everyone was dead serious. I heard something about a prize. Finally the day came. Everyone gathered in the middle of the village, where Hiccup's dad, Stoick, waved his arm for silence.

"It's a fine day for a race." he yelled, and everyone quieted. "The elders have decided that, because some of you are less experienced in flying, there will be two different races: one for those with a lot of experience, and one for those with less. Those that want to participate in the easy one, meet in the Great Hall. The rest, stay here."

Those who were less apt in the air and children left. I saw Freya being dragged off by her mother and breathed a small sigh of relief. At least I wouldn't have to deal with that little pain in the tail. Small pieces of paper with the race course drawn on them were handed out. Astrid, who seemed startled when the two different races were announced, gasped as she looked at the map.

"We have to go through the Mists?"

Apparently she didn't know about my extra practice time in the Mists. Several other people voiced the same concern.

"If you don't like it, you can do the easy race." Stoick said. There was a lot of muttering, and several people left. When everyone settled down, Stoick continued with the instructions. "You will start above the docks, circle the island as it says on the map, and return back to the docks. There will be bonfires to mark where the course is. Any questions?"

Several people asked questions about the course, cheating, and other minor things.

"Will there be a prize?" one burly-looking teen asked.

"That's for the winner to find out." Stoick answered. There were murmurs of what it might be. "Any other questions? No? Then head for the docks!"

Everyone started off. Astrid looked apprehensive as she walked by me. I could tell she was worried about the Mists. After all, she had only been through it with me a few times, and none of them recent. Toothless and Hiccup caught up to us.

"Feeling nervous?" Hiccup asked.

"No, not at all." Astrid was getting to be a good liar.

_Are you feeling nervous?_ Toothless asked.

_Just a little. You?_

_The same._

_How many do you think are doing to die in the Mists?_

_Depends. A lot are going to cop out at the last second, and some are going to take it ridiculously slow._

_That's no fun._

_You're turning into an adrenaline junkie, aren't you?_

I grinned. _That just means I'll fit in with the rest of you crazy Vikings._

We reached the cliff above the docks. Astrid showed me the map and explained it. I was careful to memorize it as best I could, even though I knew there would be markers. Everyone got on their dragons, and Stoick stood in front next to a huge cylindrical piece of metal, holding a mace.

"One last word. You must go through the Mists, not around or over. Anyone who tries to avoid it will be disqualified. Everyone clear? Good. On your marks, get set..."

He hit the metal thing and everyone took off. I was close to the front, but not leading. No point in wasting all my energy now. The air thrummed with the sound of wings as every dragon tried to take the lead. I rose slightly above the masses. Most of the humans wouldn't realize there was three dimensions they could use and would settle for trying to shove everyone else out of the way. I have to admit, it was pretty funny seeing some of those massive humans riding dragons, especially the ones on Gronkles. The first turn came up, marked with a huge fire. I took it easily, catching sight of Toothless' red tail fin flying below the rest of the dragons. Apparently Hiccup understood that he could use the airspace above and below the others. They were probably going to be my biggest competition. Behind me, I could hear yells as several people were caught cutting the corner. A large natural arch loomed up, with fires on either side of the opening. We were going to have to go in single file. With a few powerful strokes I went just behind the leader. To my surprise it was Hygelac. I grinned as we shot though the arch. This was going to be more fun than expected. I could hear everyone behind us coming through the arch, the sound reverberating off the walls. Soon we were going to be surrounded once again. Time for some Nightmare-baiting.

_I think you have the wrong race. _I said as I came up even with him, _This is the one for the more experienced fliers._

_Then what are you doing here? _Hygelac shot back.

_Winning. _With that I pulled ahead. Hygelac did just as I was hoping and shot off. Idiot. I moderated my pace and let the rest catch up. After a while Hygelac would either realize that I was behind or he would run out of energy. Another turn came up. I slowed down slightly as I came to it, allowing several others to go ahead. Just as I suspected, there were yells and roars. I made the turn and was confronted with a maze of tall columns. Several dragons were in the water, having run into one of the rocks, and several more were making their way off the course with some sort of injury or another. Hygelac wasn't one of them, much to my disappointment. Toothless came up beside me and winked. I grinned, and we separated, weaving through the columns as fast as we dared to go. Between Astrid and I we managed to avoid crashing. As soon as we cleared the rocks we shot off again. I could barely see Hygelac in the distance. He seemed to be slowing down, and we soon caught up with him.

_What's the matter?_ I taunted, _Tired already?_

_Shut up. _He growled. I could hear Toothless snickering beside me.

_I've seen snails move faster than you._

With another growl Hygelac shot off again, albeit slower than before. Toothless winked, understanding my plan, before slowing down. I followed suit, conserving my strength for the final leg of the race. The other dragons caught up with us. I could tell the numbers had decreased significantly. Another turn came up. I risked a glance back as I made it and noticed that most of those who were left were about the same age or slightly older than Astrid and Hiccup. With that interesting little fact stored in the back of my brain, I focused in front of me. Clear until the next turn, with a slight tail wind. I spread my wings wide and let the wind do some of my work. Veering around the turn, I once again caught sight of Hygelac. He was definitely moving slower this time. I restrained a grin as I caught up with him.

_If you had any brains at all you would have saved some of your strength for when it really mattered._

Hygelac growled, but was too tired to go any faster. I passed him and could hear him growl as several other dragons did the same. Knowing there was some other little surprise ahead, I let a Zippleback pass me. I made the next turn, and the Mists came into view. The Zippleback suddenly veered away. Either it didn't want to risk it, or its rider didn't. Toothless came up beside me.

_Now for the fun part._ He said. Grimly, I knew that I would either have to get through before any of the other dragons did or be forced go slower, in order to avoid colliding with another dragon. I sped up, and he matched my pace. This frustrated me slightly. Whoever got through first would, in all likelihood, have enough of a lead to win. I gathered my reserve strength and shot ahead of Toothless, barreling towards the mist-enshrouded rocks.

_Are you crazy?_ Toothless yelled. I didn't answer. Vaguely, I could hear Astrid screaming for me to slow down. If I did there was a good chance that Toothless would take the lead. Time to see if all my practice had paid off. I hurdled into the mist, swerving around rocks. This path was familiar to me, as I had flown through it several times. Astrid was silent, instead hanging on for dear life. I was sure she was praying. I didn't slow down. If anything, I sped up slightly. With one last roll we burst through the mist. I slowed down slightly and gained altitude, hoping that my rush hadn't taken up all my energy. The last turn came up. Going around it, I glanced back and saw that Toothless had made it through the Mists, but was now too far behind to take the lead. The docks were ahead. As we came closer I could see Stoick holding a large piece of green cloth. I slowed down, gliding past him as he dropped the cloth. Those that were gathered at the finish line, including those that had, for various reasons, quit the race, cheered as I landed. Astrid jumped off and hugged me, putting her face close to mine.

"You stupid dragon, you could have gotten us both killed."

By the tone of her voice I knew she really wasn't angry. Toothless and Hiccup landed.

_Nice flying._ Toothless said.

_Thanks. _

_Ready for whatever prize Stoick came up with?_

_Right now I'm ready for a nap._

_I don't blame you, after that stunt you pulled. Wasn't Astrid yelling for you to slow down?_

I shrugged. _Probably. I was going so fast I couldn't hear her very well._

_You're crazy._

_No, I've just had a lot of practice._

Toothless rolled his eyes and snorted. I settled down and watched the few who had made it through the Mists land. After a while a head count was taken, and everyone who had started the race had made it back. Everyone headed back to the village. I could see quite a bit of stuff exchanging hands as we went. Once everyone was gathered in the middle of the village, Stoick again raised his hand for silence.

"Quite the races we've had. Will the winners please step forward?"

I followed Astrid to the front of the crowd. When I saw Freya pouting next to her parents I almost sighed with relief. Maybe this would put her in her place. The winner of the easy race was a young boy I had seen once or twice and who vaguely reminded me of Hiccup. After a pointless speech saying how well he did, he got a medal while his dragon, a Nadder, got a large cod. Then Astrid was called up. There was yet another long and pointless speech about her flying ability and my speed. Then with a flourish Stoick produced a large silver cup, engraved with dragons and with dragons as handles. Astrid accepted the cup, looked inside it, and laughed. Curious, I peered inside. There was a large fish, a sea trout. I had only tasted it once, but I still remembered how absolutely delicious it had tasted. I also remembered that they weren't found around here, but further south. Much further south. How the Vikings had obtained one I had no idea. I looked at Astrid with large, expectant eyes. She laughed again.

"Well you did win it for us, even if you did almost get us killed."

Without further adieu she tossed the fish to me. I caught and ate it, almost purring in content as I savored the delightful taste. After swallowing I looked up and saw Hygelac at the rear of the crowd. If looks could kill, I would have been dead in a heartbeat. As it was, I winked at him. He growled and stalked off. There was a little more talk, and everyone started dispersing. Astrid went over to her parents, who embraced her. Freya was alternating her scowl between Astrid and me, and I suddenly had a feeling that something bad was going to come of it. I didn't think on it too much, though. I was tired, and sleep seemed more important than wondering what a little girl was plotting. I stayed awake long enough for Astrid to take my saddle off, then promptly fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 7

_Italics_ mean Dragons speaking

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><p>The next morning I went to the dragons' table for breakfast. Toothless was there. Surprisingly enough, Hygelac wasn't. Maybe he was off plotting somewhere. Not like I had a problem with it. Afterwords I found a nice shady spot to plan out the rest of the day. I had put a lot into the race yesterday, so my idea was to take it easy, maybe take a nap on one of the huge rocks off the coast, catch my lunch, and come back for supper. Astrid had seemed preoccupied when I saw her this morning, so I didn't know if she'd want to go for a ride or not. Toothless came up.<p>

_That was some race._ He said as he laid down.

_Yep._ I watched him closely, having been too tired yesterday to see how he felt about it.

_Perhaps they should have a race just for Night Furies._

_I thought that was what it turned out to be._

_Only at the very end. I'm talking about an entire race._

_The difference being?_

_Maybe you wouldn't go insane near the end._

_On the contrary, I would probably go even more insane._

_Maybe, maybe not._ He shifted a little, and I caught a whiff of something both amusing and alarming.

_You're jealous, aren't you?_

_What? No way._ He protested.

_You're jealous. Admit it._

_No, I'm not._

_Yes, you are._

_No, I'm not!_

I sighed. _Toothless, I didn't hatch yesterday. Just admit it._

_Fine, _he huffed, _I am jealous._

_Couldn't have anything to do with the whole 'physically disadvantaged' thing, could it?_

Toothless glowered at the ground. I was starting to get annoyed. If he wanted to be an idiot, then so be it.

_All right, then. Next time you want me to go easy on you because you're a cripple, just tell me._

_Shut up. _He growled.

_Well, if you want to be an idiot, do it somewhere that I'm not. _I got up.

_Are you asking for a fight? _Toothless also got up. I turned to face him.

_The question is, are you asking for a fight? I don't think that be such a great idea for you._

_I beat you last time._

_I was completely out of shape, and you caught me by surprise. I'm ready this time. _Without waiting to see his response, I flew off, afraid I really would get in a fight. I'm sure Astrid would have loved it if I did. First almost getting her killed (in her opinion) and then almost killing Toothless. And this time, there was no race to be won.

Alighting on a rock far out to sea, I stewed. Not only had Toothless acted like an idiot, he had just about ruined my day. There was no way I would be able to take a nap all riled up like this. I took off and skimmed over the water, hoping that the sea spray would cool my temper. It didn't. When suppertime rolled around I was still angry, so I caught my dinner and flew straight back home, not even glancing at the dragons' table. If Toothless was there, I wasn't going to be.

For the next two days I avoided Toothless. Several times I thought about apologizing, but when I started approaching him he'd turn around and walk away. Fine, then. If he wanted to be a jerk then he'd have to apologize first. Astrid and I went flying alone, thank goodness, and from what I gathered Freya was being even more of a little pain in the rear than usual. Guess the race didn't put her in her place after all. What really worried me was when I overheard her asking her parents to make Astrid give me to her. They said no, but it would only be a matter of time. Maybe Freya had forgotten the one and only time she flew on me, and the fact that I could make it a whole lot worse.

On the evening of the second day of avoiding Toothless I decided to take a little stroll through the village, a.k.a. walk to Astrid's house from the other end of the village. I actually did this relatively often, so it was nothing unusual. When I got to the middle of the village I noticed that it was deserted. Usually there would be quite a few dragons eating at this time. Something was wrong, and I had a feeling it could result in something very bad happening to me if I wasn't careful. With all my senses stretched to their limits, I entered the village square. Because dragons were often here, I couldn't tell if there were any dragons near by smell. I could hear movement, but it hard to tell if it was caused by humans or not. About halfway across I sensed someone behind me. I stopped and listened. Large dragon, probably a Nightmare, trying to move quietly and failing miserably.

_You know, it's considered rude to try to sneak up on someone._ I said without turning around. The dragon behind me stopped, and I was able to get his sent. Hygelac. Oh joy.

_And just what are you doing?_ Something about the way he said it made me even more wary than I already was. I turned to face him.

_Minding my own business. I suggest you do the same._

Hygelac growled, and immediately other dragons came out from behind the buildings around the square and surrounded me. _Right now, you are my business, and I fully intend to finish you._

_So you brought along some of your buddies to make sure I don't kick your tail like last time, huh? How very brave of you._

Hygelac examined one of his claws. _Which would you prefer to lose first: your tongue, or your eyes?_

_You'll have to get to them first, you sniveling coward._

_Tongue it is, then._

Hygelac tensed, ready to spring at me, and all his cronies did the same. There was a roar. Confused, everyone stopped to look around. A dark blur leaped over their heads and landed beside me.

_Toothless! What are you doing here?_ I was genuinely surprised.

_Well, I thought I'd just drop in and say I'm sorry for being an idiot. _He said as he crouched by me.

_All right. I'm sorry for being a jerk._

_Apology accepted. So what kind of party am I crashing?_

_Oh, Hygelac and his friends are just inviting me to a picnic. _I replied airily. Toothless chuckled grimly.

_Great. Mind if I crash that, too?_

_Go right ahead._

Hygelac sneered at us. _All right, one-fin, we'll take care of you, too._

They began circling. Toothless and I watched each others backs. It was about ten to two, but then again, some of them were Gronkles, so it was slightly more even.

_I have something I need to tell you. _Toothless said quietly.

_Make it fast._

_I've always found you very attractive._

_And why on earth are you telling me this now? _I asked while keeping my eyes on the circling dragons.

_Well, since the chances of us us surviving are looking pretty slim, I figured now was as good a time as any._

_Fine, then. I've always thought you had an amazing personality and a great sense of humor._

_Now that that's taken care of, should we take care of these imbeciles?_

_Let's let them start the dance._

By this time there was a small crowd gathered. Great. Hopefully casualties would be kept to a minimum. Then Hygelac pounced. I did the exact thing I had done last time. Rolling onto my back, I pushed him into a couple of his cronies. Then all heck broke loose. I was a good fighter, and Toothless wasn't a weakling, either, but ten on two is still ever so slightly overwhelming. I could hear various humans trying to call their dragons off, but it wasn't working. Claws and teeth ripped into me, and tails and wings battered me. We fought back, though, and soon several of the attackers were out of commission. The problem was that Toothless and I were starting to get tired, and there was over half left to go. A lull came in the fighting, and I heard a honey-sweet voice that I absolutely hated.

"If I stop the fighting, can I have Midnight?"

So Freya was behind this. I wanted to break through and kill the little cretin right then and there. The fighting resumed and I didn't hear what Astrid's answer was, but I knew she'd say yes, if only to prevent me from getting ripped to pieces. I could just make out Freya approaching the fight.

"OK, Hygelac, you can stop now!"

A tail slammed into her, knocking her back and winding her in the process. After a few moments she got her breath back.

"No, you stupid dragon, you're supposed to stop!" she cried, then burst into tears.

I couldn't afford to pay any more attention to her. Vainly Toothless and I struggled. Several humans tried to pull the other dragons off us, but they were too frenzied. This had to end quickly, or Toothless and I were finished. Assuming, of course, that we wouldn't bleed to death afterwords. Hygelac appeared in front of me, trying to gouge out my eyes with his claws. Using the last of my strength I grabbed his neck in an iron grip and took off, breaking free of the mass and dragging him with me. Hygelac had to fly in order to avoid being strangled. When I felt like I couldn't fly any more I started diving. For all his flapping Hygelac couldn't stop us from tumbling headfirst towards ground. Right before we were about to crash I let go, pushed myself free, and opened my wings, narrowly avoiding the ground. Hygelac, on the other hand, wasn't as fast. He crashed hard and didn't move. I glided over to Toothless and collapsed. The other dragons looked at Hygelac, then at me, then at each other before fleeing. I breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way I could continue fighting. Toothless laid down beside me, also exhausted. He stared at Hygelac.

_I can't believe it. He's still alive._

_What?_ I looked over at the Nightmare. Sure enough, he was still breathing. That idiot must have a rock for a head, which would explain his lack of brains.

"Midnight!"

Astrid ran up and knelt beside me, ignoring the fact that she was getting blood all over her.

"I thought you wouldn't make it." she whispered.

"You stupid dragon, you were supposed to be mine!" Freya ran up and kicked me. I was dead tired and wounded to boot, but I managed to find enough strength to pin her down. Growling, I put my face very close to hers. Maybe I should get rid of her and fix the majority of my problems in the process.

"Astrid!" she screamed.

"Hey, you're the one that almost got Midnight killed."

Freya began sobbing. I came that much closer to offing her, then glanced at Astrid. She held up a finger, signaling for me to wait a minute.

"I have an idea." she said at last, "I'll keep Midnight from killing you on one condition."

"What's that?" Freya sniveled. I almost hoped she'd turn down Astrid's offer.

"You have to tell mom and dad how you came up with this entire thing just to get Midnight."

"What?" Freya cried as she struggled harder. I put my face closer to her's and made my message very clear. You don't agree to it, and I will make your death extremely slow and painful. At last Freya sniffed. "Fine."

Astrid put an arm around my neck and gently pulled me off of Freya. "Just remember, if you don't hold up your end of the deal, I won't stop Midnight next time."

I gave Freya the most evil grin I could manage. She looked at me with terrified eyes, her lip trembling, before running off. I sank back to the ground. Astrid frowned, concerned.

"I'm going to get the healer. Try not to move."

She ran off. Toothless crawled up and gently nuzzled me. _Looks like we didn't die after all._

_Yet._

_That's one thing I love about you. You're always so optimistic._

Hygelac stirred and opened his eyes. _What happened?_

_Like you don't remember. _I said acidly. Hygelac blinked.

_Who are you?_

_I don't find this amusing, Hygelac._

_Hygelac? Is that my name?_

_He doesn't remember anything. _Toothless whispered in my ear. An idea came into my mind.

_Yes, your name is Hygelac. I'm Midnight, and this is Toothless. You don't remember, but you were very loyal to us and absolutely hated fighting of any kind._

_Really?_

_Really._

_Well, then, I'll try to keep doing that._

Toothless snickered quietly. Hygelac looked at him, but at that moment Astrid came back with the healer and Hiccup, who went as fast as he could to Toothless.

"What happened?"

Astrid began explaining while the healer started putting me back together. She gave Astrid some instructions and fixed Toothless up before going to help the others, most of whom were still unconscious.

"Can you make it to the house?" Astrid asked me. Only one way to find out. Slowly, I stood, trying very hard not to show that I felt like the entire island had fallen on top of me.

_I'll come by as soon as I can. _Toothless said as Astrid and I started off.

_I'll be waiting._

By some minor miracle I made it to my bed and curled up. Astrid made sure I was as comfortable as I could be before going out to find Freya. I knew when she found her because I could hear Freya protesting as Astrid dragged her to the house. Though I couldn't make out what was being said, I did hear a resounding _smack_ that sounded very much like someone getting swatted hard on the rear. Freya's crying confirmed the fact. I closed my eyes contentedly. Yep, things were going to get a whole lot better.

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><p>That's it. Review if you like it, please.<p> 


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